1940-12-02 — Page 7

CHINA MAI Singapore Planning

WINDSOR HOUSE

GREECE ATHWART THE AXIS?

One of the most inter- esting aspects of the Italo- Greek war is its apparent undesirability,

as seen

For All Contingencies

The announcement by the oficer Administering the Govern ment of the Straits Settlements

(Mr. S. W. Jones) that the plans

From A Singapore Correspondent

"

non-European, The Air Force is making the maximum possible use of the local-born population of drawn up three or four years ago routes leading to and from Singa- | provide the R.A.F. not only with artisans and other non-flying per--

Malaya, and a technical corps of by the Imperial Government for pore. The Colony's own R.N.VR good operational centres but would sonnel has been formed for ground from Berlin. The clash the defence of Malaya have now also mans patrol vessels which naturally be invaluable in facili crews, M.T. drivers, and motor-

been carried out is welcomed as operate in Malayan waters, These tating the dispersal of the occurred just before Mus-confirmation of the belief that the ships and the minesweepers are forces attached to the R.A.F. Faris organising a special one-year air launch. crews. The Air Ministry solini met Hitler at Flor-Singapore plan is now complete. manned by Malay ralings with East Command.

training. course with the coopera-. European officers. The Malays are From Singapore the RAF.tion of the Department of Educa- ence. Had Il Duce con- The foresight of those who, 20 by tradition a seafaring race, and looks out across the South Chination.

years ago, decided to establish athere has been no lack of the right Sea to Hong Kong, and south-cast ceived it as part of the great naval base at Singapore has material for recruits. Training to Borneo and Sarawak, west to Axis plan for conquest in never been more apparent than it has now been going on for more Ceylon, and south to Port Darwin is to-day when the island, at the than six months, and these men, and Australia. Its duties in wer- South-eastern Europe, southernmost point of continental who are enlisted for service In time would be similar in 50:12 Asia, is the corner-stone of British local waters only, are proud to be respects to those of the Coastal and primarily a step in the strategy over a wide area in East serving in what they hope may Command in Great Britain. The

Asia, the western Pacific, and the one day develop into Royal Sunderland flying-boats for campaign against Britain, Indian Ocean. The defences of Navy to assist in local defence, connaissance work are well known he might well have wait-fully prepared for any emergency. Singapore are in perfect, trim and

ed a few hours for final consultation with partner.

It is not always realised that his Singapore is much more than a naval base, although that is its primary function in the scheme of Empire defence. It is no less

German comment on the affair has been re- markably detached. Ber- lin's attitude seems to say that of course the Third Reich will support its Axis partner, but that for the time being this war is-Italy's business.

MALA

Miles

0 5 10

INSULA RAF BASE

ore STRAIT

Batam (28/0

important as an air base, while the troops and fortifications which defend the naval and air bases make it a fortress of the first or- der.

Ready For All Tasks

All Herr Hitler's plans for Hungary, Rumania, Yugoslavia aimed at or- ganisation of this region as an untroubled store- house of supplies for the

Less has been heard in recent years of the supposed "menace" of Nazi military machine. Singapore to the Japanese Empire. The Japanese have evidently come Mussolini's little war is to realise that a base which is as causing

far. from Yokohama as Gibraltar is from New York could not seri- right at Hitler's back ously threaten their home. coast-

disturbance 2

A

R.A.F. Patrols

re-

A Fortified Coast

in Singapore, as are the Blenheim Singapore is immensely strong bombers,

local photographs of in fortifications. The coastal bat- which have appeared in the Mala-teries have tremendous range and yan newspapers, The R.A.F. units Protect all sea approaches to the in Malaya have a large area naval base,

to

The advantage heldi patrol, and the long coast-line of by land batteries in an encounter the Malay peninsula would need with warships was shown in the to be constantly watched if there Norwegian campaign, and there is Singapore is not so well known were ever a threat to this country. every reason to believe that any

hostile vessels approaching Singa to the outside world as an air

Apart from the normal R.A.F. pore would receive a very warm centre, although some writers activities, the air defences of Ma-reception. have suggested that it may one, laya are being strengthened by day become even more important the resuscitation of the Volunteer for its air strength than as a naval Air Force in the Colony.

The garrison includes. British, station. Be that as

The Indian, and Malay soldiers, who it may, the new organisation embraces Royal Air Force is at present busy flying clubs, whose aircraft will with their roles in the defence of the are all by now fully acquainted in all parts of the Malay penin- be available for training and other Singapore and the Malay penin- sula. There are several Service duties. Another activity of the sula. The defence of the back aerodromes on Singapore island, Volunteer Air Force, financed by door" approaches to and the civil airport, one of the the Malayan Governments. is the via the east coast, presents a spe- -Singapore, at the disposal of the R.A.F. Up potential R.A.F. pilots are given "jungle warfare" tactics has been most modern east of Suez, is also formation of a flying school where cial problem and training In country the R.AF. have available preliminary training until ready given to all the units likely to be both their own aerodromes those originally built

and to proceed oversea for interme-affected. The jungles are one of civil diate and advanced Service train- the natural defences of Singapore, purposes. Malaya is not a large ing. country, but is very well provided

As the existing cadets pass for, although there is no virgin with aerodromes, from Alor Star out into the R.A.F. others will be proaches to south Malaya through

jungle on the island, the and Kota Bahru in the north to enrolled. All. British subjects are Johore, and many square miles of Singapore in the south, and these eligible, whether European or country farther north, are covered with thick wooded territory through which a hostile forcë could not hope to advance.

The: additional fact that there are com paratively few roads on the east of the peninsula considerably sim plifies the defence. problem

for

Deep Shelters For All

ap-

line. That it could be used to door. It has enabled Bri-very good purpose in operations in

Volunteer Aid the China Sea and beyond cannot The townspeople of Malta have ground, the townspeople can tain to establish British be doubted.

settled down to a new life below quickly get to shelter. The Italian The Malaya Command includes ground. This forces

strange existence raiders come on the average twice several thousand volunteer troops; on Continental It has been remarked: that a is becoming almost as normal to a day (or night). They have to Europeans and non-Europeans in soil and British ships in naval base is never really "com-the Granit is to the Guanches of fly fewer than 60 miles from the civilian life, whose training has pleted.", since changes in naval the Grand Canary, who have for Sicilian coast, and so the warn-recently been completed at camps new bases in the Medi-practice' are always making new Guanches kept

generations lived in caves. The ings are short. When the air-lasting two months. These units demands on a repair and refitting.

to the earth to craft are near the population canare being reinforced by Europeans terranean. Berlin: is also station, but it can be said that the avoid a tax on doors; the Maltese be sent underground In a few called up under the Compulsory Training Ordinance, The Militia" pondering whether the Singapore naval base is complete 50 below for 100 per cent, security minutes

from Italian bombs,

have been working extremely hard Malta has deep shelters, cut ties that bind Turkey all the tasks assigned to it. Since

and will soon be fully trained. the King George VI graving dock,nccommodate all her townspeople.

into the sandstone, enough

The Army makes good use of the Russia and to Britain will one of the biggest of its kind in They were made, to some extent,

non-European man-power in the not begin to pull those two years ago, work has been con- war, but war centuries ago.

the world," was officially

country. There is the well-known in preparation for war. Not this In the evening most of the Malay Regiment raised a few townspeople go to the shelters. years ago and now at full strength. two Great Powers more

tinuing at the base unceasingly. The Knights of St. John ruled Different familles when the raids Malay units in the Royal Engine- Much has been spent in finishing Malta for three the workshops in the dockyard built

centuries and began staked their closely together.

claims, like ers, Malays in the RA.S.C., and towns and fortifications. gold-diggers. Now they have other ancillary units, and Eura- area, improving the facilities for

They quarried for warships using the base, increas- beneath the sites, and then cut regarded as their own. All of them anti-aircraft regiment and the

their stone section of a

shelter which is sians have been recruited for an ing the accommodation available,

in the sense that it can carry out

to

opened

overhauling, and refitting vessels

to

set of fortifications to another, there and some families also have underground passages from one have taken part of their bedding Royal Corps of Signals,

ugu.

་

+

This really was no time and providing the Admiralty with to make trouble in Greecc. a powerful and up-to-date radio Some of these quarries were ex their own cooking utensils.

station.

cavated and some of these tunnels Bombs have been scattered Problems of internal security Perhaps Il Duce did not

Although Singapore is primarily notably those at Valletta,vere 150 raids no one in these shelters in Europe. A strict control over were dug 500 years ago; others, freely above them, but in some were studied long before the Fifth Column menace, became apparent expect trouble. The slight- a base for warships operating in made after the Knights had de has been injured.

Far Eastern waters and the Indian feated a Turkish siege 375 years ness of Italian forces at Ocean there is no reason why it

When the battering of the towns aliens is maintained and in an made many

people homeless, emergency forces are available for first sent against the should not be used for repairing,

these refugees made their per guarding strategic buildings. manent homes below ground One These-arrangements will be sup- Greeks suggests that a from greater distances. The Navy

of the largest shelters can ac-plemented in the near future by has its bases in the Mediterranean

commodate 3000 people.

the formation of a Local Defence "fifth column" was. ex-sufficient for all purposes, but in

Without these shelters there Corps, similar to the Home Guard certain circumstances it might be pected to prepare the road convenient to send a ship all the made refuges when Italy made life, For Malta is one of the most in every part of the country. The Malta thus had these ready-would have been a heavy tollof in Great Britain, with brauches way to Singapore, which has so wor upon her. for Italian conquest. The far been entirely free from any had no need to make any more, world. On the Island, 17 miles those who are over military age.

The authorities thickly-populated parts of the men enlisted will be principally impulsiveness of the Ita danger of enemy action. The same but they set to work to make the long and 9 miles wide, there are

applies to merchant shipping and shelters more easily accessible some 270,000 people. In Valletta, Singapore's food control ar- lian move suggests that II the Singapore Harbour Hoard has and, where possible, to give the the capital, there are 55,000. Most rangements are chiefly concerned very adequate dry docking accom- people a little comfort with their of the houses, made of stone, are with ensuring the maintenance of Duce may have wished to modation which would supplement security.

strongly built and have cellars adequat stocks of rice in the the naval facilities. The fact that | They cut have one fait accompli singapore has a floating dock and into the rock, and they linked up but the people prefer the greater stituted a pooling system by means additional tunnels which are a protection from blast, Colony. The Government has in- with which to confront graving dock both capable of thik- many deep wells and also the dry safety of the less comfortable of which the emergency stocks are ing the biggest vessels afloat moats which surround all Maltese deep shelters. There is also the constantly turned over to prevent his spectacular partner me work which can be carried out with the main shelters. They also in times of danger, prefer com- individual rationing, to be enfor

means that there is no limit to towns, to improve communication psychological factor, that families deterioration., A modifled plan for when the two met at Flor-here.

put into service a disused rail-pany to loneliness. However ced only in the event of shipping way tunnel nearly a mile In little it may be justified, there is routes being seriously disturbed. ence.

While the Navy preserves its length.

a feeling of, greater safety in hum-is being tried, and rice consumers customary and necessary silence Where possible and where Tubers.

are required to register with their regarding its operations, it is pos- cessary, they have. Installed Malta thus has the good fortune usual dealers. The food control But the Fascists have sible to refer to some aspects of drainage systems, and fitted fatis of being able to carry on its or-department also fixes maximum the work of the Straits Settle-to improve ventilation... At the dinary life, to woric as usual, to prices for a number of other es- got themselves into some-ments R.N.V.R. and the shore entrances to some of the larger sleep in safety, and to get a cer-sential commodities, including establishment which is training shelters they have provided the tain amount of relaxation, in flour, milk, and sugar, and there thing that they cannot Malays for service with the Navy women with washing facilities, spite of the fact that raida have has been remarkably little food The R.N.V.R. are chiefly respon- With additional entrances and been so numerous that the people profiteering during the past 12 get out of.

siblo

for minesweeping trade limproved communication below lọng vugo ceased to count them, rimonths.

.